According to DFO announcements: (FN820), (FN821), and (FN819), all salmon fishing is suspended further past the previously announced August 23, 2019 date until “further notice” on the lower Fraser River. This includes Mission Bridge to Alexandra Bridge (Region 2), tidal waters of the Fraser River (downstream of the VPR Bridge at Mission, BC to the mouth of the river), as well as subareas 29-6, 29-7, 29-9 and 29-10.
According to the DFO all three notices say, “These management measures are being implemented given extremely poor returns of Fraser sockeye and extremely limited sockeye impacts available and to provide for priority access to chinook for First Nations food, social and ceremonial harvest opportunities. Overall returns of Chinook salmon returning to the Fraser river have also been very poor to date.”
Also, if you missed the announcement (FN0813), Pitt River and all tributaries are also closed for salmon fishing as of one hour after sunset August 19, 2019.
For this announcement, the DFO is quoted as saying, “Current run size estimates of Fraser River sockeye salmon have resulted in no allowable harvest and a conservation concern. The Department’s priorities are to ensure that there is sufficient Sockeye returning to the spawning grounds and therefore must consider all impacts on Fraser Sockeye stocks. The Department will manage all fisheries to minimize sockeye impacts and provide priority access to First Nations’ fishing for food, social and ceremonial purposes.
It so sad ! Was there commercial fishjnh in the ocean? Cause we see in super markets fresh wild salmon!! Given the rock slide will these sock eye even make it to
The spawning grounds
What about the Birkenhead river sockeye
So Sockeye aren’t in good numbers for any harvest, I understand that. Can someone from DFO explain why they still have a large sein boat test fishing DAILY in Area 13 just north of Campbell River??? With no directed commercial fishery slated in Johnstone Strait due to poor returns it doesn’t make any sense to have this boat doing multiple sets daily. We all know this “test fishing” results in high mortality of anything that gets caught so having DFO using the excuse that they need data is absolute BS.
Last weekend the natives had a opening for springs and if they caught any Sockeye they had to throw them back even if they were dead which is ridiculous as they all would die anyway.The natives should be allowed to keep them or give them to people who can use them not just letting them die in the river